Simple Nature - Light and Matter

Exercise 2C: Vibrations

Equipment:

• air track and carts of two different masses


• springs


• weights

Place the cart on the air track and attach springs so that it can vibrate.

1. Test whether the period of vibration depends on amplitude. Try at least one moderate
   amplitude, for which the springs do not go slack, at least one amplitude that is large enough so
   that they do go slack, and one amplitude that’s the very smallest you can possibly observe.


2. Try a cart with a different mass. Does the period change by the expected factor, based on
   the equationT= 2π

√

m/k?

3. In homework problem 33 on page 125, you showed that a spring’s spring constant can be
   determined by hanging a weight from it. Use this technique to find the spring constant of each
   of the two springs. The equivalent spring constant of these two springs, attached to the cart in
   this way, can be found by adding their spring constants.


4. Test the equationT= 2π

√

m/knumerically.

Exercises 129